Morris Brown College, which filed for bankruptcy protection last summer, is facing serious challenges.

As the AJC reported in July:

Founded in 1881 by members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, today Morris Brown is a shell of its former self.

At least two former college administrators, Dolores Cross, president from 1998 to 2002, and former financial aid director Parvesh Singh pleaded guilty to embezzling federal student aid money to try to save the school from financial ruin. They were not accused of trying to enrich themselves but of redirecting the aid from student accounts to operating expenses.

While it once taught nearly 3,000 students, only 35 attend now. The campus has 16 buildings, but only uses four. Buildings are boarded up. The football stadium is padlocked. The water was shut off a couple of years ago when the college couldn't pay its bills, and faculty members have gone months without seeing a paycheck.

Creditors holding $13 million in bonds secured by Morris Brown were days away from foreclosing on parts of the campus last summer when the trustees filed for bankruptcy protection.

In 2002, the financial and academic instability cost the school its accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which cited gross financial mismanagement. The school is now seeking accreditation from the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.

Alumni are rallying around the college. Here is a piece by one, Jeffery L. Miller, a 2012 Morris Brown College graduate.

 By Jeffery L. Miller

Almost 131 years ago, Steward Wylie, a member of Atlanta’s Big Bethel AME Church, made a courageous plea to his church members; that if they could furnish a room at Clark College, they could build a school of their own. Armed with faith and belief in his mission, Morris Brown College, one of Georgia’s most treasured institutions, opened its doors.

It is this type of fortitude and dedication to higher education upon which the college was founded. It stands to reason why its alumni and supporters are fiercely committed to stopping the financial hemorrhaging of its beloved institution.

In August 2012, Morris Brown filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to prevent the foreclosure and sale of the school at an auction. The college has since formed a strategic planning committee of qualified professionals from highly-respected accounting and financial firms to help with the reorganization process, streamline the fundraising process, and ensure adequate funding resources to meet monthly financial obligations.

Measures are in place to create greater accountability and transparency from its administrators. Finally, alumni across the globe have pledged their financial support to their alma mater.

Most recently, Morris Brown worked with several potential business partners in hopes of emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Although there is more work to be done, we have faith in the leadership and believe that we are on the road to a full recovery. While this process continues, our campus, which sits on one of the highest points in the city, stands ready to be redeveloped. Our professors are prepared to teach and our classrooms are ready to be filled.

 The closure of Morris Brown would serve as a detrimental loss to the city of Atlanta. The college has empowered hundreds and thousands of men and women including Alberta Williams King, the mother of Dr. King, Glorida Etchison, wife of business executive and Tea Party activist Herman Cain, Pulitzer Prize-winning author James Alan McPherson, Sylvia Reed, the mother of Atlanta’s Mayor Kasim Reed, and countless other notables.

 Many of Morris Brown’s graduates are from lower socioeconomic backgrounds; the first in their families to graduate from college. These individuals are now accomplished and are visionary leaders in their fields.

Even with the unfortunate loss of its accreditation, the school has maintained its mission of academic achievement by fostering intellectual vigor to develop each student’s potential.

 Although Morris Brown’s financial challenges seem insurmountable, one can only be reminded of its rich legacy, the commitment of its founding fathers, and the graduates who have made their indelible mark on society and the nation.

 On behalf of the alumni and supporters of Morris Brown College, we kindly ask for your prayers and support as we lay the foundation for a viable future.